Pray for us!!
God's greatest blessing - Children!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Solemnity of St. Peter & St. Paul - Tuesday June 29, 2010
St. Peter, pray for us!!
St. Paul, pray for us!!
St. Paul - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Today is the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. Happy feast day to my sons Peter and Paul!!
God bless!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Kellie's Shower - Saturday June 26, 2010
Kellie arriving for her shower!
Kellie and her mom!
Kellie opening gifts!!
Kellie & Rich with all their goodies!!
Congratulations!!!
St. Irenaeus - Monday, June 28, 2010
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!!
O sweet Jesus, reduce my ego until it is nothing. For all things are possible for you. As my ego decreases my union with you increases until I reach that perfect union. It is you who lead me where I need to go. It is you who see my future and desire all good for me. How is it that when I am poor, I am rich? How is it that when I am humbled, I am great? All that is opposite lies within your power. You walked the way of the cross and suffered greatly and died that we might live. You were the final sacrifice of the Passover lamb on the altar. It was through this great sacrifice that we find perfect love in the resurrection. It is through our own way of the cross that we will find this too. Thank you, my Jesus!! I praise you and I love you!! I believe in your promise that you will never leave me and will be with me through eternity.
God bless!!
Opinion: Be Courageous Prophets! Restore the Family as the Foundation of Society - U.s. - Catholic Online
Opinion: Be Courageous Prophets! Restore the Family as the Foundation of Society - U.s. - Catholic Online
Restore the family and the family's right to make decisions for their own children!!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 27, 2010
Today's readings taken from Catholic.org:
http://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/
http://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/
Reading 1, 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
16 You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.
19 Leaving there, he came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him.
20 Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. 'Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you,' he said. Elijah answered, 'Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?'
21 Elisha turned away, took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the oxen's tackle for cooking the meat, which he gave the people to eat. He then rose and, following Elijah, became his servant.
Gospel, Lk 9:51-62
51 Now it happened that as the time drew near for him to be taken up, he resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem
52 and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him,
53 but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem.
54 Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, 'Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heavento burn them up?'
55 But he turned and rebuked them,
56 and they went on to another village.
57 As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'
58 Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'
59 Another to whom he said, 'Follow me,' replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.'
60 But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.'
61 Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good -- bye to my people at home.'
62 Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'
Reading 2, Gal 5:1, 13-18
1 Christ set us free, so that we should remain free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be fastened again to the yoke of slavery.
13 After all, brothers, you were called to be free; do not use your freedom as an opening for self-indulgence, but be servants to one another in love,
14 since the whole of the Law is summarised in the one commandment: You must love your neighbour as yourself.
15 If you go snapping at one another and tearing one another to pieces, take care: you will be eaten up by one another.
16 Instead, I tell you, be guided by the Spirit, and you will no longer yield to self-indulgence.
17 The desires of self-indulgence are always in opposition to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are in opposition to self-indulgence: they are opposites, one against the other; that is how you are prevented from doing the things that you want to.
18 But when you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
St. Anthelm - Saturday June 26, 2010
St. Anthelm, pray for us!!
If we are willing to give up everything that will be lost to us someday anyway, we can guarantee that we will gain everything when we enter eternal life!!
God bless!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
St. William of Vercelli - Friday June 25, 2010
St. William of Vercelli, pray for us!
Heaven and Hell are both a state of mind, the heart's hope or the heart's despair. We live one or the other while we walk this earth for each is found within us. We know what we live by the fruits of our lives. Heaven produces joy, peace, acceptance, understanding, forgiveness while Hell produces the opposites. The discovery of Heaven within us is found only when we are willing to humble ourselves, get on our knees and acknowledge that there is a power greater than us. That power is God who is pure love and desires to give us everything even our free will to deny his existence and become like mini gods. Life is so much easier when we give up everything and seek the Father's will first. But we will never know this until we are willing to give it all up and humble ourselves before our mighty God.
Ezekiel 33: 14-16
Though I say to the wicked man that he shall surely die, if he turns away from his sin and does what is right and just, giving back pledges, restoring stolen goods, living by the statutes that bring life, and doing no wrong, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the sins he committed shall be held against him; he has done what is right and just, he shall surely live.
Ezekiel 33: 14-16
Though I say to the wicked man that he shall surely die, if he turns away from his sin and does what is right and just, giving back pledges, restoring stolen goods, living by the statutes that bring life, and doing no wrong, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the sins he committed shall be held against him; he has done what is right and just, he shall surely live.
God bless!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
St. John the Baptist - Thursday June 24, 2010
St. John the Baptist, pray for us!
(Some thoughts taken from the June Magnificat, pg 333)
Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P. -
...I need... someone who models for me that there is no greater joy in my life than for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease, especially as regards my self-reliance, my self-assertion, my self-importance...
And pg 336 -
Why does the Church celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist? Because "John surpasses all the prophets, of whom he is the last" (CCC 523).
God bless!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
St. Joseph Cafasso - Wednesday June 23, 2010
St. Joseph Cafasso, pray for us!!
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pg 301, from the writings of Father Stephen Dubuisson, S.J. (died 1864)
Recollection is what I most particularly want, now more than ever. A great many of my imperfections proceed from this, that I suffer too easily my mind to be tossed to and fro by unseasonable solicitude or reflections. Besides this virtue of recollection, which is nothing but a continual sense of the presence of God, is the best, a necessary, and most natural preparation to prayer; if I am recollected, I shall be a man of prayer, and if I am a man of prayer, I shall obtain numerous favors from the Almighty.
God bless!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
St. Thomas More - Tuesday June 22, 2010
St. Thomas More, pray for us!!
Didn't get a chance to post this until now since I was flying out of Colorado very early this morning.
God bless all!! Hope everyone had safe travels today!!
Monday, June 21, 2010
St. Aloysius GonzagaPriest - Monday June 21, 2010
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!!
St. Aloysius GonzagaPriest - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Matthew 7: 1-5
Jesus said to his disciples: :Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
We humans are quick to judge what others do and say and are deaf, dumb and blind to the sin in our own lives. If we were to take time to examine our own conscience and be truthful about the fault in our own lives, we would be more compassionate and understanding of the sin in the lives of others. It's a daily work and possible only with God's help.
God bless!!
St. Aloysius GonzagaPriest - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Matthew 7: 1-5
Jesus said to his disciples: :Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
We humans are quick to judge what others do and say and are deaf, dumb and blind to the sin in our own lives. If we were to take time to examine our own conscience and be truthful about the fault in our own lives, we would be more compassionate and understanding of the sin in the lives of others. It's a daily work and possible only with God's help.
God bless!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day to all the dads in my life!!
My father who passed away in 2005.
My husband who is my helpmate and best love!
My son Paul who is my eldest son and taught me what I know about parenting.
My son Peter who is my middle son and taught me that sometimes things are black and white.
My son James who is my youngest son and taught me the quiet and gentle side of life.
My son-in-law Adam who has taught me how wonderful food can taste.
And to all my brothers and brother-in-law who have given me such joy!
God bless you all and have a wonderful Father's Day!!
Love you!!
My husband who is my helpmate and best love!
My son Paul who is my eldest son and taught me what I know about parenting.
My son Peter who is my middle son and taught me that sometimes things are black and white.
My son James who is my youngest son and taught me the quiet and gentle side of life.
My son-in-law Adam who has taught me how wonderful food can taste.
And to all my brothers and brother-in-law who have given me such joy!
God bless you all and have a wonderful Father's Day!!
Love you!!
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time June 20, 2010
Today's Gospel Reading taken from Luke 9: 18-24
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply,"John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do yu say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
(Taken from the June Magnificat pg 286)
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter replies: "The Christ of God." Peter knows this to be so, not because he discovered the answer in a book, but because he looked at the facts of his own ife. Since he had met Jesus Christ, he had changed. And the change that he experienced in his person can only be the work of a divine Person. "You are all one in Christ Jesus... You belong to Christ." Since the time Peter began to belong to Christ, he became more fully himself. God had poured out on him "a spirit of grace and petition." Once Peter looks "on him whom they have pierced," he will be able to make his profession with even more conviction... up to the day of his own martyrdom.
We know that we truly live our faith because we are changed by Jesus' presence in our lives. We become one with him and he increases while we decrease. It is no longer our will that is done each day but his. We discover a joy beyond what the world gives. We no longer think with our minds, but with our hearts. We know that we are loved by our God and all that we possess no longer possesses us.
God bless!!
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply,"John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do yu say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
(Taken from the June Magnificat pg 286)
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter replies: "The Christ of God." Peter knows this to be so, not because he discovered the answer in a book, but because he looked at the facts of his own ife. Since he had met Jesus Christ, he had changed. And the change that he experienced in his person can only be the work of a divine Person. "You are all one in Christ Jesus... You belong to Christ." Since the time Peter began to belong to Christ, he became more fully himself. God had poured out on him "a spirit of grace and petition." Once Peter looks "on him whom they have pierced," he will be able to make his profession with even more conviction... up to the day of his own martyrdom.
We know that we truly live our faith because we are changed by Jesus' presence in our lives. We become one with him and he increases while we decrease. It is no longer our will that is done each day but his. We discover a joy beyond what the world gives. We no longer think with our minds, but with our hearts. We know that we are loved by our God and all that we possess no longer possesses us.
God bless!!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
St. Romuald - Saturday June 19, 2010
St. Romuald, pray for us!!
St. Romuald - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
We humans are called to a higher level of living than the animals. If we seek our own pleasures and comforts first, so too do the animals. We have a moral code written on our hearts. God calls us to spend time in reflection with him and when we do we will learn this moral code. All of humanity is sacred. Jesus calls each one of us to take up our crosses (whatever they may be) and follow him. It's not an easy path. We are called to sacrifice, to deny ourselves, to give up our desires and needs and possessions. When we gain the whole world and lose our souls we have gained nothing. When we give up everything, we find everything. For it is in nothingness that we are found and what we gain "eye has not seen nor ear heard." But it is written on our hearts and when we find it, we have found perfect joy and piece. When we do not, we find instead anger and resentment. The evil one is alive and well and never sleeps. He toys with us human beings and uses us. But when we make a decision to walk with Jesus, Jesus protects us and gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit - patience, fortitude, wisdom, etc.
God bless!!
St. Romuald - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
We humans are called to a higher level of living than the animals. If we seek our own pleasures and comforts first, so too do the animals. We have a moral code written on our hearts. God calls us to spend time in reflection with him and when we do we will learn this moral code. All of humanity is sacred. Jesus calls each one of us to take up our crosses (whatever they may be) and follow him. It's not an easy path. We are called to sacrifice, to deny ourselves, to give up our desires and needs and possessions. When we gain the whole world and lose our souls we have gained nothing. When we give up everything, we find everything. For it is in nothingness that we are found and what we gain "eye has not seen nor ear heard." But it is written on our hearts and when we find it, we have found perfect joy and piece. When we do not, we find instead anger and resentment. The evil one is alive and well and never sleeps. He toys with us human beings and uses us. But when we make a decision to walk with Jesus, Jesus protects us and gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit - patience, fortitude, wisdom, etc.
God bless!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
St. Gregory Barbarigo - Friday, June 18, 2010
St. Gregory Barbarigo, pray for us!
St. Gregory Barbarigo - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pg 259)
The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces. (Is 25: 8)
The poet of this first of the seven penitential psalms (Psalm 6) pleads with God for deliverance from the dreadful misery of sin. Our foes are really our own distorted thoughts and selfish habits, which wreak more damage than we often imagine.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 261-262)
The impulse of fallen human nature is to attempt to store up for ourselves treasure...but it amounts to a futile act of fated self-reliance. Where our treasure is, there also is our heart. So Jesus tells us to "store up treasure in heaven," that is to deepen our relationship of love and faith with God.
God bless!!
St. Gregory Barbarigo - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pg 259)
The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces. (Is 25: 8)
The poet of this first of the seven penitential psalms (Psalm 6) pleads with God for deliverance from the dreadful misery of sin. Our foes are really our own distorted thoughts and selfish habits, which wreak more damage than we often imagine.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 261-262)
The impulse of fallen human nature is to attempt to store up for ourselves treasure...but it amounts to a futile act of fated self-reliance. Where our treasure is, there also is our heart. So Jesus tells us to "store up treasure in heaven," that is to deepen our relationship of love and faith with God.
God bless!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
St. Emily de Vialar - Thursday June 17, 2010
St. Emily de Vialar, pray for us!!
This is a great web site - http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/- for those who believe in the Catholic faith, those who question it, and those who do not believe in anything.
1 Peter 4:8-11
Let your love for one another be constant, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be mutually hospitable without complaining. As generous distributors of God's manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God's message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 248-249)
It is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." (Rom 14:11)
All creation sings praise to God simply by being fully what the Creator intended. Obedience to God's designs is in itself an act of worship. Worship without obedience is merely hollow flattery. Yet both worship and obedience are less than Christian if they do not spring from the one root, love of God.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 250-251)
In teaching us to pray, Jesus says, "Do not babble like the pagans who think they will be heard because of their many words." God listens to us when we pray because we belong to him. That is why the Lord teaches us to pray, "Our Father." Through our obedience to this command, we discover how much the heart of the Father is turned toward his sons and daughters.
Let your love for one another be constant, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be mutually hospitable without complaining. As generous distributors of God's manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God's message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 248-249)
It is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." (Rom 14:11)
All creation sings praise to God simply by being fully what the Creator intended. Obedience to God's designs is in itself an act of worship. Worship without obedience is merely hollow flattery. Yet both worship and obedience are less than Christian if they do not spring from the one root, love of God.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 250-251)
In teaching us to pray, Jesus says, "Do not babble like the pagans who think they will be heard because of their many words." God listens to us when we pray because we belong to him. That is why the Lord teaches us to pray, "Our Father." Through our obedience to this command, we discover how much the heart of the Father is turned toward his sons and daughters.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
St. John Francis Regis - Wednesday June 16, 2010
St. John Francis Regis, pray for us!!
Job 1: 21; 2:10b
Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked I shall go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?
God bless!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Breakfast with Dan, Maggie, & Maisie
Maggie, Dan & Maisie having a great breakfast this past Monday!!
St. Germaine Cousin - Tuesday June 15, 2010
St. Germaine Cousin, pray for us!!
From Ascent, Book I, Chapter 3, St. John of the Cross -
It is not the things of this world that either occupy the soul or cause it harm, since they enter it not, but rather the will and desire for them, for it is these that dwell within it.
We seek to be poor, to be empty, not for the sake of emptiness, but so that we can be filled with God.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 186-187)
...Our union with Christ radically changes the way we deal with injustice and evil in our life. We are to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and "offer no resistance to one who is evil." Not only is this possible - for the Christian touched by god's mercy it is the only reasonable way to face life.
God bless!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
St. Elisha - Monday June 14, 2010
St. Elisha, pray for us!
Another Carmelite saint
http://carmelnet.org/galleries/Saints/Saints_2/Elisha/elisha.htm
(Taken from the June Magnificat pg 184-185)
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then. (Dt 30:19)
Beside the river that watered the garden of Eden, God offered the first couple the choice between obedient love and self-seeking death. The choice remains ours to make each day.
God bless!!
Another Carmelite saint
http://carmelnet.org/galleries/Saints/Saints_2/Elisha/elisha.htm
(Taken from the June Magnificat pg 184-185)
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then. (Dt 30:19)
Beside the river that watered the garden of Eden, God offered the first couple the choice between obedient love and self-seeking death. The choice remains ours to make each day.
God bless!!
Bl. Maria Candida of the Eucharist - Monday June 14, 2010
A Carmelite -
Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist, pray for us!
James 2: 12-17
Always speak and act as men destined for judgment under the law of freedom. Merciless is the judgment on the man who has not shown mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgment. My brothers, what good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one, has it? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and no food for the day and you say to them, "Good-bye and good luck! Keep warm and well fed," but do not meet their bodily needs, what good is that? So it is with the faith that does nothing in practice. It is thoroughly lifeless.
(Taken from the Liturgy of the Hours Week III)
God bless!!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Beginning of June - Lots happening!!
Keegan's birthday party!! June 5, 2010
Maisie's birthday party!! June 12, 2010
Kimball Farm with Calvin and Zachary - June 13, 2010
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - June 13, 2010
Today's first reading from the Second Book of Samuel tells us about the great sins of King David - adultery, murder, deception, infidelity - and God's great forgiveness. It is not because we are saints that he loves us so. It is because of our own sins. There is no measure for sin. Sin is sin. Whether we tell a minor lie, refuse to look at the truth in our own lives, or prefer to be mini gods rather than worship the one true God. Sin is sin and we all need forgiveness.
Taken from June Magnificat, pg 180. Author is Frances Hogan.
Forgiveness is the divine institution for dealing with injustice. It breaks the cycle of evil, of tit-for-tat revenge which serves only to increase the problem. It not only breaks the cycle of evil but also the power of evil, neutralizing its effects. It is the equivalent of taking the sword out of the enemies' hands and breaking it, leaving them defenseless. Forgiveness is the liberating defense of the child of God. It is also one of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and those who use it know the joy of God's presence in their lives, and also of God's protection against all enemies both material and spiritual, for time and eternity.
Taken from June Magnificat, pg 180. Author is Frances Hogan.
Forgiveness is the divine institution for dealing with injustice. It breaks the cycle of evil, of tit-for-tat revenge which serves only to increase the problem. It not only breaks the cycle of evil but also the power of evil, neutralizing its effects. It is the equivalent of taking the sword out of the enemies' hands and breaking it, leaving them defenseless. Forgiveness is the liberating defense of the child of God. It is also one of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and those who use it know the joy of God's presence in their lives, and also of God's protection against all enemies both material and spiritual, for time and eternity.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Immaculate Heart of Mary: Heart of a Compassionate Mother - Saturday, June 12, 2010
Immaculate Heart of Mary, intercede for us to your beloved son, Jesus!
The best life is an examined life. An old Greek philosopher once said "Know thyself!" It's as true today as it was then. At the end of the day we should look back on our life and see with truth and honesty, not self-righteousness or judgement, how we lived our day. Guilt and shame are to the soul what pain is to the body. They are warnings that there is something wrong. If we do not heed those warnings we can destroy our souls and bodies for all of eternity. Those who think there is nothing more than this life need only know that we are energy and even scientists know that energy cannot be destroyed, only changed. What we are to become is yet to be revealed.
God bless!!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Friday, June 11, 2010
Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A day to remember and be thankful for all that Jesus has done for us. Because of our human condition, we will sin each and every day and if we are aware and sorrowful Jesus will forgive us each and every day. We are constantly evolving from sin to forgiveness to sanctity and back to sin, forgiveness and sanctity. Too many in today's culture do not recognize the sin in their own lives, but rather are too aware of the sin in the lives of others. We are all called to be saints. Be a saint today!! You will know it if you have joy and peace in your heart.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!!
God bless!!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!!
God bless!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
St. Getulius - Thursday, June 10, 2010
St. Getulius, pray for us!!
Taken from the June Magnificat, pg 128-129
Jesus said: "The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve." (Mt 4:10)
Creating idols is a perennial enterprise among us blind-hearted human beings. When we set up goals that mirror all that is small and self-centered in the human heart and then sacrifice all our time and energy to them, we run the constant risk of achieving deadness of spirit instead of vibrant life lived in the image of the compassionate Creator.
Genesis 9: 5-6
For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life. If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God has man been made.
Life is holy. God made life holy. We worship God alone and in doing so we will reverence life - all life from conception to natural death.
God bless!!
Editorial: Stephen Hawking is Wrong. Church is a Defender of Life, Science and the Person - U.s. - Catholic Online
Editorial: Stephen Hawking is Wrong. Church is a Defender of Life, Science and the Person - U.s. - Catholic Online
Here's a great article defending the Catholic Church against one of the well known Atheists.
Dear Sweet Jesus, guide us and heal us and bring us all home to the Father's heavenly kingdom!
God bless!!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
St. Ephrem - Wednesday, June 9, 2010
St. Ephrem, pray for us!!
Romans 12: 9-12
Your love must be sincere. Detest what is evil, cling to what is good. Love one another with the affection of brothers. Anticipate each other in showing respect. Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pg 833)
God calls us to detest what is evil and to cling to what is good. In this culture so many are confused about what is truly evil and what is truly good. An easy way to discern is this: if what you are doing brings God closer to you and you to God then there is a good chance it is good. If what you are doing brings God away from you and you away from God then there is a good chance it is evil. It is in quiet prayer and reflection that we are truly able to see the sin in our own lives and feel repentance and sorrow.
God bless!!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
St. William of York - June 8, 2010
St. William of York - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Worship the creator, not the creation. To worship creation is to worship the image in the mirror for that is what creation is. We have a calling deep within to be a people of worship and praise. What is it in your life that means the most to you? That you would have the most difficulty giving up? That you will long for when you know that death is near and all that you know of this world will be gone? That would be what you should give up; be willing to sacrifice in order that you might live and see the living God, Jesus. He walks with you and talks with you, but you do not see nor do you hear because the world and its desires drown him out. They make you blind and deaf. God has created a longing in us that will never be satisfied by any earthly pleasures. Listen to the voice of your heart.
In Genesis, God made all things. On the first day he created the day and the night and then on the fourth day he filled the day with the sun and the night with the moon and the stars. On the second day he separated the sky and the waters and on the fifth day he filled the sky with the birds of the air and the waters with the fish of the sea. On the third day he made the dry land and on the sixth day he filled it with the animals and humans. On the seventh day he rested and invited mankind to worship and praise him on that day and to rest from their labors. All that we see and touch and feel in each and every blessed and holy day is a gift from our loving God. Praise him!! Worship him!! Spend some time with him each and every Sunday!
God bless!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Bl. Anne of Saint Bartholomew - Monday June 7, 2010
Bl. Anne of Saint Bartholomew - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Today we celebrate the life of a Carmelite saint. We are all called to be saints! Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him. How many are willing to do this today? It's not an easy road and we cannot do it alone - only through the grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is when we get on our knees and ask for help that we receive the help and grace we need. It's a hard way to live, but yet it is filled with a deep inner joy and peace. How many today find that joy and peace? So many today live angry lives. The anger begins with themselves and spreads out to the world around them. It's a huge infection. Part of the anger is because the world does not live as they think the world should live or others in their lives do not live as they think they should live. When we are truly in relationship with another, we desire to give up all of ourselves that the other may find joy and happiness. The key word is in denying ourselves. We live today in a society that believes "If I think or feel it is right, then it must be so." We have become like mini gods - a way unto ourselves. We do not know how lost we are, but we are known by our fruits. Are the fruits of our lives joy and peace or are they anger and resentment? Pray each day as if your life depended on it, because it does!
God bless!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Happy Birthday, Keegan!!
cute little Keegan!
Here he is with his big brother Liam!!
Happy Birthday, Keegan!!
'Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity': The Miracle and Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist - June 6, 2010
'Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity': The Miracle and Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist - Living Faith - Home & Family - Catholic Online
Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. St. Thomas Aquinas says the following about the Eucharist:
[The] spiritual food [of the Eucharist] is likened unto bodily nourishment in this respect that without it spiritual life in the soul cannot exist; just as without food for the body, bodily life will not exist. But it means more than bodily food, for the Sacrament of the Eucharist causes everlasting life in the person receiving it worthily, which is not caused through corporal food; since he who eats bodily food lives not forever....
But this Sacrament is also great, for it gives eternal life likewise to the body, and therefore, Christ says, "I will raise you up on the last day." For whosoever eats and drinks of this food spiritually, becomes a sharer in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, through whom we are united to Christ, in a union of faith and charity, and through whom we are made members of his Church.
(Taken from the June Magnificat, pgs 92-93)
Go to confession, receive Jesus in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist (the source and summit of our faith), and return to full communion in the Catholic Church. God is love and He always waits for the return of his children - to be fully present to him.
God bless!!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
St. Boniface of Mainz - Saturday, June 5, 2010
St. Boniface, pray for us!!
Romans 12:13-21
Look on the needs of the saints as your own; be generous in offering hospitality. Bless your persecutors; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same attitude toward all. Put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay injury with injury. See that your conduct is honorable in the eyes of all. If possible, live peaceably with everyone. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves; leave that to God's wrath, for it is written: "'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' says the Lord." But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
It is so hard to move our egos out of the way especially in today's culture which talks about self-esteem as if there is no life without the world's definition of self-esteem. We can feel truly good about ourselves when we recognize the truth that is present within us and when we know the love that God has for us and we desire to journey on the road that he has set before us. We only tend to get into great trouble when we desire our will be done rather than his. Read your Bible today!!
God bless!!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Life seems like a spring fed pool and I am trying to empty it with a spoon. Do you think I'll get it all done before I die??
Last week I cleaned one corner of my living room. That's right - one corner - and it took me two days. Of course, I did take some time off to watch a good movie and play the par-3. And it did feel good to have that corner cleaned of accumulated files, pictures and bills. But they are now beginning to accumulate again so it seems like a never ending battle.
And the cleaning continues at work as well. I am in the process of moving from one cubicle to another and from one job to another. Little by little I am going through files and shredding and discarding what I don't need any more, but also dealing with the many interruptions that fill my day as my job is first and foremost to serve the students. I have less than four weeks to complete this and I really could use more than that - maybe a year!?
Life is like that thought and I deal well with all that it hands me because God is first in my life. He has the bigger picture and he gives me the grace I need to plow ahead and know that whatever gets done in this one day is all that needs to get done and there will always be a tomorrow of one kind or another.
God bless!!
Last week I cleaned one corner of my living room. That's right - one corner - and it took me two days. Of course, I did take some time off to watch a good movie and play the par-3. And it did feel good to have that corner cleaned of accumulated files, pictures and bills. But they are now beginning to accumulate again so it seems like a never ending battle.
And the cleaning continues at work as well. I am in the process of moving from one cubicle to another and from one job to another. Little by little I am going through files and shredding and discarding what I don't need any more, but also dealing with the many interruptions that fill my day as my job is first and foremost to serve the students. I have less than four weeks to complete this and I really could use more than that - maybe a year!?
Life is like that thought and I deal well with all that it hands me because God is first in my life. He has the bigger picture and he gives me the grace I need to plow ahead and know that whatever gets done in this one day is all that needs to get done and there will always be a tomorrow of one kind or another.
God bless!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs of Uganda - Thursday, June 3, 2010
St. Charles Lwanga and CompanionsMartyrs of Uganda - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Romans 14: 12-13, 17-19
Every one of us will have to give an account of himself before God. Therefore we must no longer pass judgment on one another. Instead you should resolve to put no stumbling block or hindrance in your brother's way. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and wins the esteem of men. Let us, then, make it our aim to work for peace and to strengthen one another.
It is no small task to love one another each and every day. There are probably many moments in the day where someone somewhere is the object of our resentment or irritation. We are then the stumbling block or hindrance. It should not matter what other's say or do, but rather what we say or do for that is what we should have control over - always remembering that what is impossible for us is possible for God. Turn to him in humble prayer, seeking his will first.
God bless!!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
God is awesome!! God is good!! How can anyone spend a day without knowing his presence in their lives and thanking him for all that he has done for us. I look out my window and see the sun touching the tips of the trees and splashing across the grass. I hear the bird song in the distance and not so distant. I see the birds fly through the trees and gather at the feeder. I touch life and know just how very good it is. All is God given. Without his presence in our lives, we would not exist. Thank him today for all that you have and all that you are!!
God bless!!
God bless!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Editorial: Dedicating the Month of June: Sacred Heart of Jesus or the 'LGBT' Agenda? - U.S. News - Catholic Online
We can live each day as the world desires us to live or we can live each day as God desires us to live. Serve God, not the world.
What is Heaven? We can find Heaven here on earth and many do. Heaven is not a place but rather a thought, an experience. It is where we allow God to guide our steps, to protect us from falls, and to carry us when the pain is too much for us to bear. It is letting go of our pride and our will and allowing God in with trust, and hope, and faith, and love. When we do this we experience a peace beyond our understanding.
What is Hell? We can find Hell on earth and many do. Hell is also not a place but rather a thought, an experience. It is where we do not allow God to guide our steps, to protect us from falls, or to carry us when the pain is too much for us to bear. It is not letting go of our pride or our will and as a result we block the presence of God from our lives and live in darkness, despair, and hopelessness.
God calls each of us into relationship because God is first and foremost relationship. The Trinitarian relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All that God created is in relationship. Our spirit will go home in relationship with God for all eternity and live for all eternity or our spirit will deny and close itself off from this relationship and die for all eternity. Either choice we will know with a knowing far deeper than what we now know on this earth. And that knowing will be with us forever. We will make that choice of life or death. Please choose life. All the right answers and wisdom of all the ages is within each one of us. Pray for the knowledge that you might know the truth for the truth will set you free.
We think too often that truth will bind us and imprison us. But it's the lie that does that. Many today are imprisoned by addictions, by power, by possessions, by fears and anxieties. Turn to Jesus and you will be free - free to live the life he has planned for you. Always remember that he has the bigger picture. He is like the man standing on the mountain guiding and directing us while we are the men standing in the valley not seeing what lies ahead. Trust him - always!!
God bless!!
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